Page 103 of The Bittersweet Bond

Had she just said that out loud?

"Ouch," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. His tone was teasing, but something else lingered underneath.

Luckily, nothing ever seemed to throw him off.

"Maybe I can be a good listener, too."

With that, he leaned against the bar next to her.

Dryly, Evin shot back, "You only hear what you want to hear."

Bas tilted his head slightly, considering.

"Hmm, maybe," he admitted. "But I’m good at seeing things others don’t."

Evin felt her heart skip—just for a second. She tried to stay calm, tried to keep her expression unreadable.

But she knew he noticed. Bas always noticed.

The thought made her scalp prickle.

"And that would be…?" she asked, her voice deliberately indifferent.

Bas leaned in, his face just close enough so she could hear him over the noise around them.

"Someone who’s running," he said. "Someone who is hiding."

The words hit harder than she expected.

She bit her lip, trying to push back the wave of emotions rising inside her.

"Ihave no idea who or what you’re talking about," she deflected.

Bas didn’t move, didn’t look away.

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

For a moment, it was as if time around them froze.

The pounding music, the blur of people—all of it faded into the background as Bas looked at her like he could see through every layer of walls she had so carefully built.

She had no idea what to say.

The alcohol made her tongue feel heavy, and at the same time, she just wanted to get away. Away from the questions that forced her to face the one thing she had been running from.

Then—suddenly, Bas grabbed her hand.

Before she could react, he was pulling her through the club, past the dance floor where Milka was still laughing and dancing, through the crowded hallways, until they finally stepped outside into the cold night air.

The fresh air hit her like a slap, making the alcohol in her head swirl even harder.

She barely felt the cold, even though she knew it should have been freezing.

Bas didn’t let go until they stood under a patio heater, its warmth barely cutting through the sharp chill in the air.

For a moment, there was only silence. Their breaths visible in the cold.

"So?" Evin raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze with a challenge. She ignored the heater beside her, the warmth it tried to offer. "What do you want, Bas? After all this time?"

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